diff --git a/core/emperor.c b/core/emperor.c
index d61890d2..393685e6 100644
--- a/core/emperor.c
+++ b/core/emperor.c
@@ -432,6 +432,10 @@ void emperor_add(char *name, time_t born, char *config, uint32_t config_size, ui
 	int i;
 	struct timeval tv;
 
+#ifdef UWSGI_DEBUG
+	uwsgi_log("\n\nVASSAL %s %d %.*s %d %d\n", name, born, config_size, config, uid, gid);
+#endif
+
 	if (strlen(name) > (0xff - 1)) {
 		uwsgi_log("[emperor] invalid vassal name\n", name);
 		return;
diff --git a/plugins/emperor_pg/emperor_pg.c b/plugins/emperor_pg/emperor_pg.c
index 09a65396..9a53e73c 100644
--- a/plugins/emperor_pg/emperor_pg.c
+++ b/plugins/emperor_pg/emperor_pg.c
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ void emperor_pg_do(char *name, char *config, time_t ts, uid_t uid, gid_t gid) {
 		}
 	}
 	else {
-		emperor_add(name, ts, config, strlen(config), uid, gid);
+		// make a copy of the config as it will be freed
+		emperor_add(name, ts, uwsgi_str(config), strlen(config), uid, gid);
 	}
 }